Vehicle management method, vehicle management system, and computer system

Abstract

A vehicle management method includes: determining whether a power storage device provided in a vehicle has been replaced; and determining whether replacement of the power storage device has been performed in an unauthorized manner when a determination that the power storage device has been replaced is made, wherein the determining as to whether the replacement has been performed in an unauthorized manner includes determining whether the replacement has been performed at an authorized site.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A vehicle management method comprising:
 determining whether a power storage device provided in a vehicle has been replaced; and   determining whether replacement of the power storage device has been performed in an unauthorized manner when a determination that the power storage device has been replaced is made, wherein   the determining as to whether the replacement has been performed in an unauthorized manner includes determining whether the replacement has been performed at an authorized site.   
     
     
         2 . The vehicle management method according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 the determining as to whether the power storage device has been replaced includes acquiring data about the power storage device measured in the vehicle, and
 determining whether the power storage device has been replaced based on whether the data have become discontinuous; and 
   the determining as to whether the replacement has been performed in an unauthorized manner includes determining whether the replacement has been performed in an authorized manner based on whether a position of the vehicle at a time when the data have become discontinuous is the authorized site.   
     
     
         3 . The vehicle management method according to  claim 2 , wherein:
 the data about the power storage device includes remaining stored power amount data that indicate transitions in a remaining stored power amount of the power storage device; and   the determining as to whether the power storage device has been replaced includes determining whether the remaining stored power amount data have become discontinuous based on whether the remaining stored power amount data include a time when the remaining stored power amount of the power storage device is increased by a predetermined amount or more while the power storage device is not being charged.   
     
     
         4 . The vehicle management method according to  claim 1 , further comprising executing at least one of processes of recording that unauthorized replacement has been performed, making a notification that unauthorized replacement has been performed, and restricting use of the vehicle when a determination that the replacement has been performed in an unauthorized manner is made. 
     
     
         5 . The vehicle management method according to  claim 1 , further comprising setting an upper limit value that restricts output power of an unauthorized power storage device attached to the vehicle through unauthorized replacement when a determination that the replacement has been performed in an unauthorized manner is made. 
     
     
         6 . The vehicle management method according to  claim 1 , further comprising, when a determination that the replacement has been performed in an unauthorized manner is made, notifying a user of the vehicle to suggest replacing an unauthorized power storage device attached to the vehicle through unauthorized replacement and charging the user of the vehicle a cost for replacement of the unauthorized power storage device. 
     
     
         7 . A computer system comprising:
 one or more processors; and   one or more storage devices configured to store a program that causes the one or more processors to execute the vehicle management method according to  claim 1 .   
     
     
         8 . A vehicle management system comprising:
 a vehicle that includes a power storage device and an electronic control device; and   a server configured to communicate with the vehicle, wherein   the electronic control device is configured to
 measure and record data about the power storage device, 
 determine whether the data have become discontinuous because of replacement of the power storage device, and 
 transmit a signal that indicates a position of the vehicle at a time when the data have become discontinuous to the server when a determination that the data have become discontinuous is made, and 
   the server is configured to
 determine whether the position of the vehicle indicated by the signal is an authorized site determined in advance when the signal is received, and 
 restrict use of the vehicle when the position of the vehicle indicated by the signal is not the authorized site. 
   
     
     
         9 . The vehicle management system according to  claim 8 , wherein:
 the vehicle is configured to travel using power output from the power storage device;   the vehicle further includes an auxiliary battery that supplies power to a power source circuit of the electronic control device;   the power storage device is configured to supply power to the auxiliary battery; and   when the electronic control device is brought into a stopped state with the auxiliary battery disconnected from the power source circuit and thereafter the electronic control device is started with the auxiliary battery connected to the power source circuit again, the electronic control device determines whether the data have become discontinuous because of replacement of the power storage device by comparing the data recorded immediately before start of the electronic control device and the data recorded immediately after the start.   
     
     
         10 . A vehicle management system comprising:
 a vehicle that includes a power storage device and an electronic control device; and   a server configured to communicate with the vehicle, wherein   the electronic control device is configured to transmit, to the server, a measurement result of each of data about the power storage device and a position of the vehicle together with a measurement time, and   the server is configured to
 save the data about the power storage device and the position of the vehicle received from the vehicle together with the measurement time, 
 determine whether the saved data about the power storage device have become discontinuous because of replacement of the power storage device, 
 determine whether the position of the vehicle at a time when the data have become discontinuous is an authorized site determined in advance when a determination that the data have become discontinuous, and 
 restrict use of the vehicle when the position of the vehicle at the time when the data have become discontinuous is not the authorized site.